Bright Eyes
by Acanthusss
Summary: The elfling Linde becomes lost in the wood of Lothlorien. The creature Gollum is the one to lead her home.


Title: "Bright Eyes"

Author: FF.N user ID: 381294

Rating: G

Disclaimer: This is based on the "Lord of the Rings" fictional world by J.R.R. Tolkien. All rights reserved; no profit is being made from this story.

Summary: The elfling Linde becomes lost in the woods of Lothlorien. The creature Gollum is the one to lead her home.

Author's Notes: This is a short children's story, unrelated to the plot of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. There is a bit of the Elvish language in it; and word key is at the end. Thank you for reading!

* * *

The Golden Wood was exceptionally breathtaking on this day. Fall was on the brink, and the green leaves were tinted with rustic brown, red, and gold hues. The grass was a rich green beneath the two elves' feet.

Falinor followed his young sister who was weaving through the tall and slender trees, dancing through the shafts of sunlight that penetrated through the forest canopy like spotlights.

Linde closed her eyes and breathed deeply, taking in the sharp fresh scent of Lothlorien. It was a beautiful day for a walk.

Falinor looked at the back of his sister's head, crowned with shimmering silver hair. Her eyes were sapphire blue, swirling and bright. Her skin was fair, as all elves were.

"This is a good spot," Linde 's sweet voice issued from her pale thin lips.

"Alright, then." Falinor gracefully fell to his knees and folded his legs under himself. He set the woven basket before him.

Linde turned round and copied her sibling. She smiled. She leaned forward and opened up the basket and dealt the picnic out to her brother and herself. Ripe fruit, freshly baked goods; the scent wafted up to their nosed and lifted their spirits.

Brother and sister sat in the wood, eating and chatting.

* * *

Linde extended her arms above her head and sighed happily. She fell over onto her back. The leaves of fall tangled in and adorned her silky locks.

Falinor mimicked her. He frowned, looking up at the patches of visible sky. It had darkened in their merriment, and the sun was splotchy as clouds rolled over.

"The Sun…" Linde spoke. "She is fading."

Falinor nodded, rustling the grass beneath his fair head. "We should head back."

Linde rose, brushing off the back of her outfit. She bent over and picked up the basket. It still had a few slices of bread and fruit. She and her brother had not been as hungry as they had planned to be.

Linde began to head off westward to Lorien. Falinor lay on the ground for a moment before rising to Linde 's calls.

"Come on, lazy lob!"

The elder elf pushed himself off the ground and chased after the elfling.

He ran, trying to catch a glimpse of where Linde had gone. When he cleared the trees, he came to the river Anduin. There was Linde , jumping rocks to the other bank.

"Muinthel nin!" he shouted.

Linde turned around on the stone she stood upon.

"Be careful!" Falinor yelled, angry with his sister's carelessness. "Foolish elfling," he muttered under his breath. Linde swung the basket in one hand as she hopped from the rocks.

Falinor bit his lip as Linde leapt precariously across the way. She always teased him about his worrying habits. He couldn't help it.

"Linde," he groaned as he began his way across with elven grace.

The water rushed around the rocks, misting them with a fine dampness.

Linde turned her head back to her brother. "Come on, Falinor!"

"I'm coming," he said. He glimpsed up to the sky, which had become a darker shade of gray.

Linde jumped three stones and slipped on the fourth. She cried out as she fell into the gray water.

"Linde!" Falinor yelled. He watched as she was swept downstream. He braced his feet against the stone and dove in.

He threw his arms before himself and kicked his feet rapidly, swimming after her.

Linde gasped and clutched the basket as she bobbed up and down, battered by the rapid waves down Anduin. "Falinor!" she cried. She coughed and choked when water was splashed into her mouth. "Falinor!"

"I'm coming!" the elf gasped. The water was so cold. His long white-blond hair was slicked to his skull and it whipped his face as his body and head jerked from side to side, trying to keep swimming with his head above the river surface.

Linde hugged the basket and her stomach rose in her chest as she dropped down a tiny fall.

Falinor began to panic as he began to loose control when he was swept into the more restless rapids. The water sped up and tossed him around. He fell down a fall and watched his sister disappear around a bend when he was pulled down by his feet into a current.

The water was murky, like a sandstorm. The water kicked up the sand and tiny rocks off the riverbed. He felt the water push him to the bottom by his head and shoulders.

His chest burned and Falinor fought Anduin. He scrambled along the bottom and pushed off. His head broke the surface and pulled the blessed oxygen into his starving lungs. He thanked the Valar.

Then his head crashed against a boulder and fell abruptly into unconsciousness.

* * *

Linde 's clothes hung damp and wet upon her thin form. She lifted her head out of the mud it rested in. Her blond hair was thick with it. She groaned as she picked herself up. Her once spotless garments were now patched with blemishes.

"Falinor, where are you?" her mind whispered.

The elfling turned about. She was on a bank of Anduin. East, she acclaimed, according to the sun. The river was the only thing she recognized.

Linde waded out into the river, the water rushing around her, soaking her gray leggings. Her elf gaze could catch naught a sight of her brother or a familiar sight.

She came to the harsh conclusion: she was lost.

Linde began to shiver from despair and cold. Night would fall soon. She came back to the bank.

As she curled up by the base of a tree, her heart began to ache.

"Falinor," she cried her dear brother's name. She squeezed her eyes shut and her eyelids rimmed with salty tears. "Falinor," she whispered.

Light fell as a sliver of moon rose. He reflected off the river and illuminated the sad and weary elfling's face as she fell asleep.

* * *

The first thing Falinor was aware of was the throbbing pain on the back of his head. He groaned and forced his eyes open.

He was tangled in the weeds of shallow water. There was a squelching sound as he picked himself up out of the muddy river bottom.

"Linde!" The thought rang in his head like a gong, causing a pain to ring out in his head. He moaned again.

Orientating himself, he looked up into the sun's face. He guessed it to be around noon. Then he looked south where the river ran, and northward, in the direction of Lorien.

Where should he go? He needed to find his little sister. But he had no idea how far she had gone down the river.

What if she drowned? The possibility almost sent him over the edge. Falinor shook his head, ridding himself of the thought. 'You worry too much' Linde's voice said in his head.

Falinor could go south. But what if she was north? Or vice versa? And she could be on either side of the river. And to make matters worse, _Yrch_were patrolling the eastern shores! How could he find her? He was going to need help if he did.

And thus Falinor wasted no time and set off northward, back to Lorien, searching as he went.

* * *

The lithe gray creature watched the young elf sleep. His large orbs of eyes glinted in the shadows.

"'Tis an elf, precious!" He said.

"Fierce elves hurts us!"

"What should we do?"

"Leave it! _Gollum, gollum!"_

Linde stirred in her sleep at the creature's coughing sounds. Her eyes fluttered open and she took a sharp intake of breath when she saw the bony creature.

He hissed at the elfling. "Fierce elf with bright eyes!"

Linde sat up upon her knees. "Please, sir! I'm lost!"

"Losted, is it? Poor, poor elf. Fierce elves! They hurt Gollum!"

Linde became confused. "No, I don't mean to hurt you. Can you help me?" she repeated.

Gollum backed away. "We leaves Bright Eyes here," he whispered to himself. The creature slunk away to the river.

The sky was clear, with the exception of a few clouds. Gollum hissed at the sun. He splashed into the shallows for a moment, and then became deathly still. A fish swam oblivious to him just a few feet ahead.

"Sweet fish, so juicy sweet!" he whispered. Arching his back, he lunged.

"Excuse me?"

The voice distracted Gollum from his prey and he flopped onto the water. The fish was startled and it darted away.

Gollum thrashed in the water, trying to reclaim it. His large flat feet tripped on a rock and he fell face-forward.

The seething creature snarled and crawled out of the river to where Linde was standing.

"Curses you, Bright Eyes! Stupid Bright Eyes! Makes Gollum loose his fish!"

Linde cast her eyes down. "I'm sorry. But I really miss my brother and I want to go home. Please, help me!"

"Gollum doesn't want to help! Leave us alone!" Gollum slunk away. Linde frowned. She watched him go farther up the river to fish. She began to cry. Gollum stopped at the sound and turned back. He groaned.

"Quiet! Bright Eyes' noises scare away fishes!"

Linde cried louder.

Gollum hissed and bounded up to her. "Shut up, stupid elf!"

Linde did not. "I want to go home!" she sobbed.

Gollum clamped a long bony hand over her mouth. But as if she had slapped him, he withdrew and hissed. All elven things stung him, and her fair skin was no exception. He clenched his hand and snarled. "It stingses!"

Linde was still heedlessly crying, but she had quieted. "I want my brother," she pled. "I'm lost and lonely. Don't you ever feel lonely?"

"We are never lonely, precious!"

"I want to go home. Will you please help me?"

"No!"

Linde's lip quivered.

"Don't cry, Bright Eyes! Nasty orcses are about. You scares away fishes but brings orcses!" Linde stopped.

"Please, Gollum." She stared into his eyes with her own.

Gollum hissed and spat at the elfling's feet. He tried to hobble away when Linde screamed again. The creature whipped backward and held his face but centimeters away from hers. Linde's mouth snapped shut.

"Fine! Fine," Gollum yelled. "We takes weepy whiny elfling home!"

Linde jumped and threw her arms up, giving a short happy cry. She had won the argument. Oh, she _would _see her brother again!

* * *

Falinor stumbled over the borders of Lorien; to immediately be fell upon by fellow elves. Their arrow points hovered inches away.

The blonde elf Haldir stepped forward, seeing the elf was also of the Golden Wood. The archers took back their bows. "What is your name?" Haldir asked.

"I am Falinor. I need help. My sister is lost. I cannot find her," the elf panted. He looked at the March-warden with pleading eyes.

Haldir nodded to two elves. They came forward and supported Falinor. "You need to be treated by a healer."

"My sister needs to be found!"

Haldir placed a hand on Falinor's shoulder. "Yes, Falinor. But first you must be healed. Then the predicament of your sister can be sorted out."

Falinor reluctantly let himself be treated by a Lorien healer, while speaking to Haldir. The elf listened to him. He grew concerned when he remembered the _yrch._

When Falinor finished his tale, Haldir nodded. "Yes, mellon nin, we shall find her."

"Thank you so much," Falinor said, exasperated. He hung his head in his hands, his fair hair draping over his fingers.

The healer stood from bandaging Falinor's ankle, which had been cut upon a stone. "Finished," she announced.

"Thank you!" Falninor said. He turned to Haldir. "Now let us go."

The healer stepped forward. "No, you should stay and rest for a while."

Falinor shook his head as he stood up from the bed on which he sat. "Nay, I cannot. I must set out immediately."

The healer frowned. "Fine, do as you wish! After all, I'm just a healer." She shook her head as she left the room.

Haldir stopped in the doorway. "Toro," he said to Falinor. In a short time, Falinor rode atop his horse among Haldir and a few of his men.

"Muinthel lend…" Falinor's thoughts echoed.

* * *

Linde stumbled after the lithe creature as he led her through the wood. "Come, Bright Eyes, quickly," Gollum urged.

The small elfling did as she was bid. She felt the chill in the atmosphere as the temperature dropped. Winter was coming, she thought.

"I'm hungry," Linde announced.

"We must keep going," Gollum said, not ceasing.

"Gollum," she said.

"What is it, Bright Eyes?" he said, turning around to face her.

"I must eat," she said, bending over, resting her hands on her knees and hanging her head. She breathed deeply.

Gollum looked around for other beings, and when he did not think any danger was about, he hopped over to the elfling. "Fine, fine, we eatses. But if we wants to beat the snows home we must hurry."

Linde nodded. "Don't worry. I will hurry."

"Good." Gollum looked around. "We goes fishing!" With bright eyes of his own, he headed back to the river. Linde followed close behind, stomach growling.

Small shards of ice flowed down the river from when they had frozen the night before. The ice did not stop the creature Gollum from hunting his food. He clenched his pointed teeth and dove in. He splashed a bit on Linde and she jumped back at the cold. She watched Gollum's blurred figure under the water as he swam the depths, searching for his scaly prey.

He disappeared for a bit, and Linde waited. She began to grow anxious when the moments grew too long. Just as she was about to call out, Gollum's head appeared above the water, a wriggling fish in his jaws. A grin was spread across his face.

Linde wrinkled her nose as Gollum bit hard into the fish until it stopped moving. He tore the fish in half and shoved the tail end under Ella's nose. She took it gingerly. "Thank you," she said uncertainly.

"Eats it, elfling! Good, good fishes!" He took to his own fish and chewed on the head. Linde held it for a moment. Then she picked at the white meat below the scales. A chunk came off, bristling with a few tiny bones. She put it in her mouth after picking them out. It was only then that she realized how hungry she was. She disregarded all manners and etiquette and ate it hastily. It was a cold meal, but it satisfied her stomach. She and Gollum ate together.

It was then Gollum suddenly became alert as the pair sat on the riverbank. His head came up from his meal and looked around, his thin lank of hair waving with his movements. Linde was oblivious to her guide's concern until her elf ears heard none of his munching.

Gollum stood on his legs and peered about. He hissed and then slunk low to the ground. "Orcses! Orcses, Bright Eyes! They are near!"

Linde wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her shirt and crouched low like Gollum. "What do we do?"

"We hide!" Gollum abandoned his precious fish and dashed off into the wood. Linde followed closely behind. She felt like she was playing the game "follow the leader" the way she was mimicking Gollum's slink. They came to a ditch amongst the roots of a tree. They stayed there, silent as shadows. Then the band of _yrch_ passed. Their clanking armor and hoarse, loud breathing disturbed the peaceful wood. They marched by as Linde and Gollum watched anxiously. When they passed out of sight, they waited for a moment until they climbed out of the ditch.

"Nasty orcses," Gollum mumbled. And Linde followed the creature back to he riverbank as they headed once again northward.

* * *

"She couldn't have gone terribly far," Falinor spoke aloud. They had been walking for a day now. Falinor and Haldir had partnered on the eastside of the river as two other elves searched on the west. They searched with keen elven sight and listened with sharp elven ears.

Haldir turned his head to the worrisome elf beside him.

"Yes, but it is a vast wood. One such as her could easily get lost," the Marchwarden said with knowing. Falinor sighed.

* * *

"We are getting close to home, Bright Eyes," Gollum hissed. The sun began to set beyond the horizon.

"Can we rest, mellon-nin?" Linde said. "We've been walking all day."

Gollum stopped and turned around. "What did you say?" he asked.

Linde panted. "I asked if we could rest." She rested her hands on her knees.

"No, no, no," Gollum shook his head. "What did Bright Eyes say in her own tongueses?"

Linde smiled as she sat back. "Mellon-nin. It means 'my friend.'"

Gollum frowned and spat, "why does Bright Eyes call Gollum friend?"

"You help me and take me home. Are you not my friend?"

"We don't have any friends," Gollum replied.

"Well," Linde said as she lowered her head to the ground. She yawned. "I'm your friend." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a leaf-shaped broach. She held it out to Gollum, and he opened his large bony hand to her. The elfling dropped the present into his hand. "It's yours now, mellon." Then she closed her eyes.

Gollum dropped the broach to the ground. It smarted his hand slightly. But he picked it back up again and looked at it curiously. He placed it on a rock and eyed the elfling curiously. "Bright Eyes gives us gifts!" he quietly exclaimed. "Bright Eyeses friend, precious?" He paused.

"Perhapses,_gollum, gollum._" The creature patted Linde abruptly and awkwardly on the head and slunk away to fill his stomach.

* * *

The moon shone his bright face down on the wood of Lorien once again another night. The light illuminated the fair face of the elfling as she slept.

Lorien's Marchwarden tread silently near to where Linde lay. His sharp elven eyes ever darting and searching for the lost one. And he smiled as he came upon her, sleeping peacefully. He let out an immense sigh of relief. "Pen-tithen," Haldir whispered. He bent down and gently picked her up. He knew that Falinor would have a fit the moment she was recovered. Linde stayed contently asleep as he made back for the camp.

Falinor was sitting by the fireside when he heard Haldir's footsteps. He turned around and his hopes were fulfilled when he saw Ella in his arms. "Linde," he breathed. The elf jumped to his feet and took the elfling from the Marchwarden. "Hannon lle, Haldir!"

Haldir nodded and smiled at the sibling pair. "She had been sleeping when I found her."

Falinor shook Ella's shoulder to wake her. "Linde, Linde!" he whispered. The little she-elf's bright blue eyes fluttered open and when she saw Falinor she flung her arms around his neck.

"Muindor nin!" she cried. Falinor hugged her back. "I'm so glad to see you again!"

"Ella, are you alright?" Falinor asked.

"Yes, brother, I am fine," she sighed, shaking her fair head. "How far from home are we?"

"But a day's walk," Haldir said. "I am glad you are alright, pen-tithen."

Falinor gestured to Haldir. "Haldir had found you, Linde."

Linde beamed at the blond elf. "Thank you, Haldir!"

"You are welcome," he replied.

Falinor spoke to Haldir: "May we begin the journey home? We could arrive by nightfall."

He nodded. "We could do that."

"I want to go home," Linde interjected.

"And so we shall, Muinthel lend," Falinor nodded. And so once the fellow elven scouts returned to camp with the little elven lady found, they walked back to the bridge to Lothlorien. And before Falinor stepped across the way, holding Linde's hand, he looked down at her, waving to an unseen thing.

"What are you waving at, Linde?" he asked.

She looked up at her brother. "Someone who helped me home," she said with a secretive smile. And when she looked back to where she had seen Gollum, hiding in a thicket, he had gone. So she gave a smile, but unaware if Gollum could see it, turned back and crossed the bridge.

* * *

Language Key-  
Muinthel nin- My sister  
Yrch- Orc  
Mellon nin- My friend  
Toro- Come  
Muinthel lend- Sweet sister  
Pen-tithen- Little one  
Hannon lle- Thank you  
Muindor nin- My brother 


End file.
